I can remember Harlequin romances being the big thing when I was younger. Lately, it seems that there are more and more books that are a series focusing around a single woman (usually divorced) who is just trying to live her life and continually seems to get drawn into mysteries.  It’s somewhat against her will, although there does seem to be some sort of thrill for the main character.  This was certainly true in Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum series, which seems to be what spawned this latest craze.

Into the fray comes author Jessica Beck with her Donut Shop Mysteries.  The first book, Glazed Murder, introduces Suzanne Hart.  She’s relatively recently divorced and turned her settlement into a donut shop in the small town she lives in.  April Springs, North Carolina isn’t exactly Chicago or New York City, but you might as well think it is when the body of a regular customer is unceremoniously dumped on her shop’s doorstep early one morning.

Afraid that Patrick Blaine’s killer might come after her thinking that she saw more than she actually did, Suzanne begins poking into the case.  She has resources in her friend George who is a retired cop, the owner of the thrift shop next door, and notorious gossip, Gabby, and her best friend Grace. There’s also a romantic tug-of-war between her ex-husband, Max, and a new man in her life, Jake, who’s an investigator with the state police.

The story is sweet and simple and a lot of fun. It’s light reading and requires little thinking.  It’s the perfect book for the summertime while sitting on the beach or next to the pool.  Suzanne is flaky at times and doesn’t listen to the warnings of the police or others concerned that she is getting in over her head.  She just plunges ahead, getting herself deeper and deeper into trouble.  Still, she’s an inherently likable and sympathetic character.  Many other characters are introduced in this first book that I hope will be built on throughout the series.  The romance was sweet as well, with Jake seeming to be the ideal man and Max the bad boy that Suzanne might not be able to shake.

Along the way at the end of each chapter, Beck includes a recipe for donuts or another dish relative to what’s being talked about.  How good they actually are, I can’t tell you because I haven’t tried any, but they certainly sound good.

Glazed Murder isn’t going to win any literary awards, but it’s not a bad read either.  If you’re looking for something a little different that’s light and fun, it’s worth giving the series a try. The recipes alone will make you ambitious to try making your own donuts.